Easy Wood Tools bought by Pony Tools

As a big fan of Easy Wood Tools, the idea that they are now owned by Pony Tools makes me uncomfortable. I guess I just hate to see tool companies swallow each other. It will be interesting to see if 5 years from now if Pony allows their Easy Wood Tool division to keep the high standards they always have had. EWT's customer service has always been second to none. In five years will EWT's be made in USA like they have from the beginning or will it get off-shored to China like most of Pony's products? Only time will tell.

I hope at least that the family that owned EWT made a nice profit!! They were kinda like Whiteside Router bits. A made in America family run business.

Craig replied to my email yesterday. It seems Easy Wood Tools will stay in Kentucky and everyone in the plant got to keep their jobs. I know he birthed that business from nothing and it would be a shame one day to see EWT follow the same path as Porter-Cable, DeWalt and the rest have. Over the years as a woodworker I have found myself liking to support with my woodworking dollars the small "mom and pop" operations and the boutique tool makers. It seem when the companies like PC and the rest get too big, they move their operations out of the country and quality control and CS go straight down the crapper.

I love all my Easy Wood Tools so I hope their quality stays. Great tools from a great company.

Red

What a shame.

I was disappointed when Craig moved from my hometown, Owensboro,Ky to Lexington, KY. Now this.

Let’s hope Pony has enough sense to maintain the quality and jobs in Kentucky.

I got that email too. So sad. Looking at the Pony website doesn't give me any confidence. I guess I need to make all my EWT purchases now rather than later.

Well the name speaks quality and made in the USA. I surely think the new owners would like to keep those same values.

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Originally Posted by ed vitanovec

Well the name speaks quality and made in the USA. I surely think the new owners would like to keep those same values.

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Putting on my cynical hat: Only if it maximizes shareholder return.

"Nothing will change" seems to be a common statement in a situation like this. Time will tell.


John